Plastic closure for containers

ABSTRACT

A plastic closure assembly for receipt on a container includes a plastic fitment having a skirt adapted to be received by snap fit over an external bead on the container neck finish, a plurality of angularly spaced internal lugs on the skirt for receipt in recesses on the finish bead to prevent rotation of the fitment on the finish, and at least one external thread segment. A plastic closure has a skirt with at least one internal thread segment for engagement with the at least one external thread segment on the fitment. In exemplary embodiments of the disclosure, the external thread segment may be disposed on an outer surface of the fitment skirt or on the external surface of a tubular spout on the fitment. The fitment skirt preferably has an internal retention element received by snap fit over the external bead on the container finish.

The present disclosure relates to securement of plastic closures to containers, particularly glass containers.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

A general object of the present disclosure is to provide a plastic closure assembly for securement over an external bead on a container neck finish, particularly a glass container neck finish, and/or to provide a package that includes a plastic closure assembly received by snap fit over an external bead on a container finish.

The present disclosure involves a number of aspects or inventions, which may be implemented separately from or in combination with each other.

A plastic closure assembly for receipt on a container neck finish, in accordance with one aspect of the present disclosure, includes a plastic fitment having a skirt adapted to be received by snap fit over an external bead on the container neck finish, a plurality of angularly spaced internal lugs on the skirt for receipt in recesses on the finish bead to prevent rotation of the fitment on the neck finish, and at least one external thread segment. A plastic closure has a skirt with at least one internal thread segment for engagement with the at least one external thread segment on the fitment. In exemplary embodiments of the disclosure, the external thread segment may be disposed on an outer surface of the fitment skirt or on the external surface of a tubular spout on the fitment. The fitment skirt preferably has an internal flange or bead received by snap fit over the external bead on the container finish.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The disclosure, together with additional objects, features, advantages and aspects thereof, will best be understood from the following description, the appended claims and the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a package in accordance with one exemplary embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary exploded perspective view of the package in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view of the package in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 4-4 in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of a package in accordance with another exemplary embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary exploded perspective view of the package in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view of the package in FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary elevational view of a package in accordance with a further embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 9 is a partially sectioned fragmentary elevational view of the package in FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of the closure assembly in the package of FIGS.8 and 9;

FIG. 11 is a sectioned elevational view of the fitment in the package of FIGS. 8 and 9; and

FIG. 12 is a sectioned elevational view of the closure in the package of FIGS. 8 and 9.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIGS. 1-4 illustrate a package 20 in accordance with one exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Package 20 includes a closure assembly 22 received on the neck finish 24 of a container 26. Container 26 has a body 28 of any suitable geometry and may be made by any suitable container manufacturing process. The container geometry of FIGS. 1-4 (as well as the geometries of FIGS. 5-7 and 8-9) is merely exemplary. Container neck finish 24 typically is cylindrical. Container neck finish 24 has an external crown or bead 30 of any suitable geometry. A plurality of angularly spaced radially outwardly facing recesses 32 are provided on the external surface of bead 30. Recesses 32 preferably are in the form of grooves or channels that extend axially through bead 30, and may or may not extend radially into bead 30 for the entire depth of the bead. The angular spacing between adjacent recesses 32 may be selected to suit the container manufacturing process, and may be equal or may be unequal as shown in FIG. 4. The end surface 34 of container finish 24 typically lies in a plane perpendicular to the axis of finish 24. Container 26 may be of plastic or, more preferably, glass construction.

Closure assembly 22 includes a fitment 36 for securement to container finish 24 and a closure 38 for securement to fitment 36. Fitment 36 has a deck 40, a skirt 42 that extends from the outer peripheral edge of deck 40, and an annular wall 44 that extends from deck 40 within skirt 42. Deck 40 preferably is substantially flat. In the embodiment of FIGS. 1-4, deck 40 is annular, and wall 44 extends from the inner periphery of the deck. However, deck 40 could extend radially inwardly from wall 44 to form a shaker or sprinkle opening. In assembly with finish 24, deck 40 is substantially perpendicular to the axis of finish 24. Skirt 42 preferably is cylindrical and coaxial with wall 44. Skirt 42 has an internal retention element 46, which may be circumferentially continuous or discontinuous, that is received by snap fit in assembly over container finish external bead 30. Retention element 46 may comprise a bead as shown, or a continuous or discontinuous flange that snaps beneath neck finish bead 30. A plurality of internal ribs or lugs 48 are disposed around the inner surface of skirt 42 between bead 46 and deck 40 at angular positions for receipt within recesses 32 on container finish bead 30 when fitment 36 is snapped onto finish 24. Lugs 48 cooperate with recesses 32 to prevent rotation of fitment 36 on container finish 24. Wall 44 preferably is in plug-sealing internal engagement with the inside surface of container neck 24 when fitment 76 is secured over bead 30 on container finish 24.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 1-4, a spout 50 extends from deck 40 in a direction opposite from skirt 42. Spout 50 preferably is tubular and cylindrical, and preferably is coaxial with skirt 42 and annular wall 44 so as to be coaxial with container neck finish 24 in assembly. Spout 50 has one or more external threads or thread segments 52 and an open end surrounded by an axially facing surface 54 spaced from deck 40. In the illustrated embodiment, surface 54 is parallel to deck 40, although surface 54 could be slanted if desired. Closure 38 has a base wall 56 and a skirt 58 with one or more internal threads or thread segments 60 removably threadably engaged with external thread segments 52 on spout 50. At least the portion of skirt 58 that contains thread segments 60 is cylindrical. The outer periphery of skirt 58 preferably is at or within the outer periphery of fitment 36. A film seal disk 62 preferably is removably adhered to surface 54 of spout 50 to seal package 20 and provide tamper indication if the package has been opened. Seal disk 62 may be of any suitable construction, such as a multilayer construction that includes a metallic layer and a plastic layer for induction or conduction heat-sealing securement of disk 62 to surface 54 of spout 50. Other means of tamper evidence can be used.

Closure assembly 22 may be provided as a complete assembly to a packager separately from container 26. The packager may fill container 26 with product and then assemble closure assembly 22 to container neck finish 24, using suitable automated or manual assembly equipment, to snap fitment retention element 46 over container finish bead 30. As an alternative, fitment 36 could be assembled to container 26 prior to filling the container with product, after which disk 62 is sealed to fitment spout 50 and closure 38 is threaded onto fitment 36. To dispense product from the package, closure 38 is unthreaded from fitment spout 50 and seal disk 62 is manually removed, thereby providing indication that the package has been opened. Sealing engagement between annular wall 44 on fitment 36 and the inside surface of the container mouth prevents leakage of product between the fitment and the container finish during dispensing. As previously noted, fitment lugs 48 and finish recesses 32 prevent rotation of fitment 36 with respect to container neck finish 24 during threading and unthreading of closure 38.

FIGS. 5-7 and 8-12 illustrate packages and closure assemblies in accordance with other exemplary embodiments of the disclosure. Reference numerals employed in FIGS. 6-7 and 8-12 that are identical to reference numerals employed in FIGS. 1-4 indicate correspondingly identical or related components.

FIGS. 5-7 illustrate a package 64 that includes container 26 and a plastic closure assembly 68. The primary difference between package 64 in FIGS. 5-7 and package 20 in FIGS. 1-4 is that fitment 70 of package 64 has the external threads or thread segments 52 around the external surface of skirt 42 rather than around a spout that extends from the fitment deck. (The term “thread segment” is employed in its usual broad sense to include both continuous and interrupted threads, and both complete and partial threads.) Thus, internal thread segments 60 of closure 38 in the embodiment of FIGS. 5-7 are removably received on external thread segments 52 on closure skirt 42. Seal disk 62 in the embodiment of FIGS. 5-7 is secured to the upper surface of fitment deck 40. Thus, the package of FIGS. 5-7 provides a low-profile alternative to the package of FIGS. 1-4.

FIGS. 8-12 illustrate a package 72 that includes a plastic closure assembly 74 received on the neck finish of container 26. Closure assembly 74 includes a plastic fitment 76 and a plastic closure 77. Fitment 76 has a deck 40 with an external peripheral skirt 42 and an internal bead 46 for snap-receipt over external bead 30 on container neck finish 24. Internal ribs or lugs 48 on skirt 42 are received in grooves or recesses 32 on finish bead 30. Annular wall 44 on fitment 76 is received in plug-sealing engagement with the inside surface of neck finish 24 as in the embodiments of FIGS. 1-7. A spout 78 extends from deck 40 in a direction opposite from skirt 42 and wall 44, preferably coaxially with deck 40, skirt 42 and wall 44. External thread segments 52 are provided on spout 78, as in the embodiment of FIGS. 1-4. In addition, an external bead 80 is provided on spout 78 between thread segments 52 and deck 40 for cooperation with tamper-indicating means on closure 77 as will be described. The end of spout 78 remote from deck 40 has a dispensing opening 82.

Closure 77 includes a base wall 56 and a peripheral skirt 58 with internal thread segments 60 for removable engagement with external thread segments 52 on spout 78. An annular wall 84 on the undersurface of base wall 56 is provided for plug-sealing engagement with dispensing opening 82 when closure 77 is assembled to fitment 76 as illustrated in FIG. 9. A tamper band 86 is frangibly connected to the edge of skirt 58 remote from base wall 56, such as by frangible bridges 88 or a frangible web. Tamper band 86 has internal means, such as an internal bead 90 or an internal stop flange, for positioning beneath bead 80 on spout 78 when closure 77 is first assembled to fitment 76. When closure 77 is first unthreaded from spout 78, abutment of bead 90 with bead 80 ruptures bridges 88 and at least partially separates band 86 from skirt 58, thereby providing an indication that the package has been opened.

Closure 38 or 77 and fitment 36, 70 or 76 may be of any suitable plastic construction, such as polypropylene. The closure and fitment are each of one-piece construction and may be made by any suitable technique, such as compression or injection molding.

There thus have been disclosed a plastic closure assembly for containers and a plastic-closure/container package that full satisfy all of the objects and aims previously set forth. The neck finish of the container has a reduced overall height as compared with constructions having external threads or the like for mounting the closure on the container and/or having tamper-indicating means on the container neck finish beneath the thread or crown for mounting the closure. The package of the present disclosure increases achievable container fill rate because the container can be filled through the relatively large opening in the container finish rather than smaller openings in the fitment. The closure assembly and package of the present disclosure eliminate any need for a shrink sleeve or the like to be applied over the closure assembly to provide tamper indication, and increase closure application speeds while reducing closure application issues. The closure assembly and package also improve removal torque due to plastic-to-plastic contact between the closure and the fitment as opposed to plastic-to-glass contact if the closure were to be applied directly to a glass container neck finish. The closure assembly and package have another advantage in connection with glass containers specifically in that the closure fitment prevents chipping of the container neck finish, improving the likelihood that the glass container can be reused. The disclosure has been presented in conjunction with three presently preferred but exemplary embodiments, and a number of additional modifications and variations have been described. Other modifications and variations readily will suggest themselves to persons of ordinary skill in the art in view of the foregoing discussion. The disclosure is intended to embrace all such modifications and variations as fall within the spirit and broad scope of the appended claims. 

1. A plastic closure assembly for receipt on a container having a neck finish with an end surrounded by an external bead and a plurality of angularly spaced recesses in said bead, said closure assembly including: a plastic fitment having a skirt adapted to be received by snap fit over the finish bead, a plurality of angularly spaced internal lugs on said skirt for receipt in the recesses on the finish bead to prevent rotation of the fitment on the neck finish, and at least one external thread segment, and a plastic closure having a skirt with at least one internal thread segment for engagement with said at least one external thread segment on said fitment.
 2. The closure assembly set forth in claim 1 wherein said fitment has a deck for overlying the end of the container finish, said skirt extending from an outer periphery of said deck and a wall extending from said deck for receipt within the container finish.
 3. The closure assembly set forth in claim 2 wherein said skirt has an internal retention element for receipt by snap fit over the finish external bead on the container.
 4. The closure assembly set forth in claim 2 wherein said at least one external thread segment is disposed on an outer surface of said fitment skirt.
 5. The closure assembly set forth in claim 2 wherein said fitment includes a spout extending axially from said deck in a direction opposite from said fitment skirt, with said at least one external thread segment being disposed on said spout.
 6. The closure assembly set forth in claim 5 wherein said fitment has a dispensing opening at an end of said spout remote from said deck, and said closure has a wall for plug-sealing engagement within said dispensing opening.
 7. The closure assembly set forth in claim 2 including a tamper band frangibly connected to said closure skirt and an abutment on said fitment to fracture the frangible connection between said tamper band and said closure skirt when said closure is first removed from said fitment.
 8. A plastic closure assembly for receipt on a container having a neck finish with an end surrounded by an external bead and a plurality of angularly spaced recesses in said bead, said closure assembly including: a plastic fitment having a deck for overlying the end of the container neck finish, a skirt extending from an outer periphery of said deck having an internal retention element for receipt by snap fit over the external bead on the container neck finish, a plurality of angularly spaced internal lugs on said skirt for receipt in the recesses on the finish external bead to prevent rotation of the fitment on the neck finish, an annular wall extending from said deck for sealing receipt within the container finish, and at least one external thread segment, and a plastic closure having a skirt with at least one internal thread segment for threaded engagement with said at least one external thread segment on said fitment.
 9. The closure assembly set forth in claim 8 wherein said at least one external thread segment is disposed on an outer surface of said fitment skirt.
 10. The closure assembly set forth in claim 8 wherein said fitment includes a spout extending axially from said deck in a direction opposite from said fitment skirt, with said at least one external thread segment being disposed on said spout.
 11. The closure assembly set forth in claim 8 including a tamper band frangibly connected to said closure skirt and an abutment on said fitment to fracture the frangible connection between said tamper band and said closure skirt when said closure is first removed from said fitment.
 12. A package that includes: a container having a neck finish with an end surrounded by an external bead and a plurality of angularly spaced recesses in said bead, a plastic fitment having a skirt received by snap fit over said finish bead, a plurality of angularly spaced internal lugs on said skirt received in said recesses on said container finish bead to prevent rotation of said fitment on said neck finish, and at least one external thread segment, and a plastic closure having a skirt with at least one internal thread segment engaged with said at least one external thread segment on said finish.
 13. The package set forth in claim 12 wherein said fitment has a deck overlying the end of said container finish, said skirt extending from an outer periphery of said deck and a wall extending from said deck within said container finish.
 14. The package set forth in claim 13 wherein said skirt has an internal retention element received by snap fit over the finish external bead on said container.
 15. The package set forth in claim 14 wherein said at least one external thread segment is disposed on an outer surface of said fitment skirt.
 16. The package set forth in claim 14 wherein said fitment includes a spout extending axially from said deck in a direction opposite from said fitment skirt, with said at least one external thread segment being disposed on said spout.
 17. The package set forth in claim 16 wherein said fitment has a dispensing opening at an end of said spout remote from said deck, and said closure has a wall for plug-sealing engagement within said dispensing opening.
 18. The package set forth in claim 14 including a tamper band frangibly connected to said closure skirt and an abutment on said fitment to fracture the frangible connection between said tamper band and said closure skirt when said closure is first removed from said fitment.
 19. The package set forth in claim 12 including a seal disk induction or conduction secured to said fitment.
 20. A package that includes: a glass container having a neck finish with an end surrounded by an external bead and a plurality of angularly spaced recesses in said bead, a plastic fitment having a deck overlying the end of said container finish, a skirt extending from an outer periphery of said deck having an internal retention element received by snap fit over the external bead on said container neck finish, a plurality of angularly spaced internal lugs on said skirt received in the recesses on said finish external bead to prevent rotation of the fitment on said neck finish, an annular wall extending from said deck sealingly received within said container neck finish, and at least one external thread segment, and a plastic closure having a skirt with at least one internal thread segment in threaded engagement with said at least one external thread segment on said fitment.
 21. The package set forth in claim 20 wherein said at least one external thread segment is disposed on an outer surface of said fitment skirt.
 22. The package set forth in claim 20 wherein said fitment includes a spout extending axially from said deck in a direction opposite from said fitment skirt, with said at least one external thread segment being disposed on said spout.
 23. The package set forth in claim 20 including a tamper band frangibly connected to said closure skirt and an abutment on said fitment to fracture the frangible connection between said tamper band and said closure skirt when said closure is first removed from said fitment.
 24. The package set forth in claim 20 including a seal disk induction or conduction secured to said fitment. 